NWR Any twitchers here?!

We are very lucky to have a few trees, hedges and shrubs around the border of the garden which gives the local birdlife plenty of habitat. The lesser spotted woodpecker was on the feeder earlier, having trained his chicks in the art of using it over the last few weeks, collared doves and wood pidgeons both nested, 2 pairs of blackbirds and various pairs of blue, great and coal tits and the ubiquitous robin. Various other visitors including occasionally the local sparrowhawk who is absolutely stunning and was last seen in hot pursuit of yankee doodle pigeon.
Chris not wishing to doubt your knowledge but lesser spotted are incredibly rare birds and aren’t know for relying on feeders.They are the size of a sparrow, unlike the Greater, size of a blackbird. If so you are very lucky indeed. Only seen once.

nb can we change the title to Birders, not twitchers- which is something very different.
 
We are very lucky to have a few trees, hedges and shrubs around the border of the garden which gives the local birdlife plenty of habitat. The lesser spotted woodpecker was on the feeder earlier, having trained his chicks in the art of using it over the last few weeks, collared doves and wood pidgeons both nested, 2 pairs of blackbirds and various pairs of blue, great and coal tits and the ubiquitous robin. Various other visitors including occasionally the local sparrowhawk who is absolutely stunning and was last seen in hot pursuit of yankee doodle pigeon.

Was it definitely a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Chris, as they are pretty rare in the UK and not really present in Scotland. The Greater Spotted is much more common. The LS has a large red cap and the GS has a red undercarriage and is slightly larger of the two. I've only ever seen the LS in France.
 
We definitely have both the species of spotted present here in the garden, lesser spotted distinguished by, as you say, the red cap but also much more densely striped back. Occasionally spotted pecking the fat balls.

Typically we have the usual variety of tits (great, blue, long-tailed and coal), goldfinches, occasional greenfinch (which seem to be a lot less common now than 20-30 years ago), nuthatch in our two old apple trees, blackbirds and robins, a wren, dunnocks, jays, magpies, wood pigeons and collared doves.

Far less frequently but still "regular" - tree-creepers, black-caps, goldcrest, green woodpecker

Occasional visitor: sparrowhawk.

One of my favourite UK sightings was an errant Hoopoe on the Isle of Sheppey, many many years ago. Totally unexpected!
 
I'm no bird expert, but I have noticed that buzzards have extended their range very markedly over 40 years, particularly into southern England. When I was a kid, the only place that I could guarantee to see them was on the edge of Dartmoor. I even saw one flying near Windsor the other day while driving on the M4. I've seen red kites at Maidenhead, but no closer to London than that. Surely it's only a matter of time until they make it to the leafier western suburbs of the city.
With any luck they’ll develop a taste for ring necked parakeets.
 
Was it definitely a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Chris, as they are pretty rare in the UK and not really present in Scotland. The Greater Spotted is much more common. The LS has a large red cap and the GS has a red undercarriage and is slightly larger of the two. I've only ever seen the LS in France.
Yup, a red hat and they have been with us off and on for three years. Not sure which tree is theirs as they are small as you say.
 
Yup, a red hat and they have been with us off and on for three years. Not sure which tree is theirs as they are small as you say.
That is a very rare sighting indeed, Chris. Don't want to dispute your id but, because of the rarity of the bird, the GS does have a smaller red 'cap' where the LS is red all over the top of its head. The other giveaway is the breast feathers - very white on the GS and more mottled (thrush-like) on the LS and of course, the red undercarriage on the GS.
 
A LS Woodpecker is indeed rare.much smaller than the GS.lucky Chris.
We apparently have the LS on my local golf course?
However despite many many hours searching for lost balls I have yet to see one.
The only reason I know they are there ? is we (our golf club )were visited once by a film crew who filmed them nesting.
I still to this day haven’t seen one.
Would love the chance to see the Hen Harriers and the ospreys are on the list together with the nightingale and the Dartford Warbler
 
Talking of birds found in Scotland I heard today that the Corncrake is in danger - again. Seems to be always in danger but is now on the highest level of concern/threat.

Have never seen one, has anyone on here?
 
The peregrine falcons that nest on Winchester Cathedral fledged five chicks this year and we see them quite often. The other day, two of the chicks were above our dog-walking park, playfighting and just swooping about. They flew down quite low a few times - at eye height on one occasion - and one of them made a rather desultory attempt to catch a woodpigeon. Magic.
We have peregrines on the Colchester Water Tower, “Jumbo”, a icon of the Town. Odd to see them over the shops with at a by or leave from the crowds below. Another bird of prey which was very rare in my youth and twitching days.
 
A LS Woodpecker is indeed rare.much smaller than the GS.lucky Chris.
We apparently have the LS on my local golf course?
However despite many many hours searching for lost balls I have yet to see one.
The only reason I know they are there ? is we (our golf club )were visited once by a film crew who filmed them nesting.
I still to this day haven’t seen one.
Would love the chance to see the Hen Harriers and the ospreys are on the list together with the nightingale and the Dartford Warbler
Ospreys over Alton Water Suffolk last week. Dartford Warblers on Dunwich Heath, quite easy to spot, a good visit if in Southwold as per other thread.
 
Talking of birds found in Scotland I heard today that the Corncrake is in danger - again. Seems to be always in danger but is now on the highest level of concern/threat.

Have never seen one, has anyone on here?
Never seen a Corncrake although I believe there some summer visitors quite near me in the upper reaches of the River Forth. Strangely, another bird that has eluded me in the UK is a Kingfisher. Seen plenty in France, but never here, even though they have been spotted within 3 or 4 miles from where I live.
 
It’s all about location. I have seen lots of Kingfishers round here. The other birds that would never have been seen near me but are regular sightings are Avocets and Egrets.
 
We have peregrines on the Colchester Water Tower, “Jumbo”, a icon of the Town. Odd to see them over the shops with at a by or leave from the crowds below. Another bird of prey which was very rare in my youth and twitching days.

I've actually seen peregrines take pigeons twice in Winchester. The first time I had been out clubbing in London and was walking down from the train station after no sleep and a number of 'refreshments'. It felt so surreal to watch this dark shape hurtle down and suddenly turn a pigeon into a huge puff of feathers.

It’s all about location. I have seen lots of Kingfishers round here. The other birds that would never have been seen near me but are regular sightings are Avocets and Egrets.

I've seen a few kingfishers in the little Winnal Moors reserve in Winchester but the best sighting was right in town, standing beside a busy road - the bird was sitting beside one of the branches of the Itchen a few metres away from where I was standing.
 
Being a fisherman means I get to see a lot of wildlife while casting a fly on Scotland's rivers. North Esk is a great river for kingfishers, dippers, and last year a pair of otters at 6.00am popped up within 5 yards of me. Also last year on an August evening I saw 7 red deer stags swim the Beauly 20 yards below me. The Tay and the Spey will invariably produce a summer osprey sighting. A couple of years ago an osprey took a 2lb brown trout in front of the lunch hut at Dunkeld House - it was touch and go whether it would get off the water with it - needless to say we all blanked that day! It's all out there and so often best encountered when alone and in silence.
 
Out at Vane Farm RSPB reserve yesterday and got a couple of pleasing shots. Lighting was not great and camera hand-held so a bit tricky. Coupled with the Long-Tailed Tits not keeping still for a second made me pleased with the shot I got. Robin a bit more of a poser so had more time to steady myself. Taken on a Nikon 80-300mm lens at 300mm at f5.6. ISO cranked up to 3200 giving a shutter speed of 1/100th sec.

Long Tailed Tit.jpg Robin on a Log 2022-01-22.JPG
 
We had a water rail this weekend, first Bullfinches and a great white Egret. (Bizarrely we have seen little Egret and cattle egret but yet to see a Heron !)

off to Scotland for Eagles in a couple of weeks
 
In our garden we see Green Woodpeckers and within a 15 min drive we can see Red Kites (which I suppose are common). We have also had deer in our garden twice since moving in in 2018. Badgers common in our neighbourhood too, never seen any in my life until a couple of years ago.

In other news in Q4 last year I saw a Hen Harrier in SW1 which was being controlled by a falconer who had been instructed by the Council to help drive away pigeons. Apparently such raptors strike a primordial fear in pigeons... I also red that the HH is endangered in this country so makes sense that the one I saw was not in the wild.
 
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